Dirk Benedict interview | Lt. Starbuck | Battlestar Galactica Battlestar Galactica. Hard to say, but... ...Easy to watch! ...Easy to watch. What a time of your life this is. This show has all the earmarks, and has an enormous amount of talk about it, and you're starring in it. What's the feeling, Dirk? Well, actually doing this show has been such hard work. I've sort of been insulated from... everybody else gets the excitement of this show -- the anticipation -- we're working 14 hours a day on the sound stages. So, I go to work at 7 in the morning and come home at 10 or 11 at night, then I get up and go to work and on weekends I get ready for the next week. So it's been a very... a lot of hard work. It will ease off a bit once we go on the air, we'll be able to... It hasn't really brought... It's destroyed my private life of course, because you don't have time to do anything. I haven't been to a movie for five or six months.

I wonder what kind of satisfaction it is to do something which is obviously is going to explode all over the country -- being an enormous success -- considering the acting background that you've had. Yeah, it's really strange. What satisfaction is there now -- working so hard, not being able to see the results or hear the applause at the moment. What kind of feeling is that? You feel you're in a vacuum sometimes, I wonder? Absolutely. The publicists, the agents, the mangers, those are the ones that get in on the excitement, because they go to the lunches. They know what's going on, because they can watch the news. I can't even watch the news because I'm working too damn much, so... But I must say that I've been an actor all my career, not somebody who is -- I was never really aiming for what is happening to me. So, I'm really involved in the work and in the challenge in creating this character, Lt. Starbuck, and doing the best I can with it. It's been -- because it's a well written part - a challenge and it's a rewarding character to play. It's kept my attention.

I've really not been concerned with the other aspects of it -- the publicity and what it will mean to Dirk Benedict once it goes on the air. Other people will see the show, they see the work, they see what everybody has contributed, they will see me in it. It will bring about different things to do and it will change my life, I'm sure. Although I don't think it will make it impossible for me to live the life I have been living up until now, which is one of relative obscurity. (laughs) I don't know. Let me ask you about this role. We've seen these Starbuck guys, I think, in various films like Close Encounter [of the Third Kind], Star Wars or whatever. In your mind, is he more fleshed out than the kind of roles we're accustomed to seeing in these films? Is he a fully dimensional guy? Well, in the first three hours, the premiere show, on September 17th, he isn't, because there isn't time. There are so many stories going on. It takes time for each character to have his... In the first show he's a really rather dashing con man, who loves to have fun.

He really has a great sense of humor about everything and is always -- [there's a ] similarity between Starbuck and Maverick, James Gardner's part Maverick. In the later shows, there's a development of the character which all along was to be there, but it takes time. In the later shows there's a serious side to his nature. I mean, he's a very passionate fellow -- Starbuck -- and I enjoy that. He's a man of action, and not an analytical mind, and not somebody who sees the overview -- the larger picture -- not one who's concerned with the safety of all the people on the battlestar Galactica. He's really -- moment to moment, individual to individual -- and really wants to have fun. He wants to have a good time. When he's in a situation where the costs are high, he's there, but... I enjoy the immediacy of him as a character. I always saw Hamlet as a man of action, rather than somebody who sat around saying... It's just that he's a... Starbuck is a man of action? Yes! What is Battlestar Galactica? You mean what's actually a battlestar? A battlestar is the warcraft.

It's a spacecraft design for fighting, like a battleship on an ocean -- it's a battlestar. The fleet, of the people of which I'm a part of, of the civilization I belong to, there are many of them, and they're all destroyed except one, and that's the Galactica. There are many of them and they'd all have different names, but the Galactica is the sole surviving battlestar after the almost complete destruction of our society by the Cylons. So Battlestar Galactica is the name of the ship they we are protecting as we move through space in search of Earth. This presumes then that these are human beings that have been living in space all this time -- unbeknownst to us -- who are now seeking refuge on Earth. Human beings coming from outer space to Earth. Is that the assumption of the show? Yes... and it isn't necessarily taking place in the future. Battlestar Galactica happens at a point in time, in the continuum of time. I rather you say what I said, that these are human beings who are actually living in space, trying find refuge on Earth. Why won't you say that?

Oh, Battlestar Galactica has to do with a people civilization, who are living in space and are in search of help from another people, living on a planet called Earth. So we are looking for Earth who are - you can call them distant cousins, but we are in outer space looking for the place where you and I are now sitting, having this interview. So this presumes -- as we have always wondered on our planet -- whether there is life... ...There is life out there. Yes. Absolutely. It goes on out there, and the people are very similar to us. Although if it was happening at this very particular point in time, they would be -- the people of Battlestar Galactica -- would be further advanced technically. But in point of fact, it could be happening a million years ago or 6,000 years ago. When we do find Earth, we could come into the Egyptian time -- the time of the Egyptians -- or Atlantis. So they're not little green men from Mars -- these people on Battlestar Galactica? No. They dress differently. The language that we use is a little different -- it's a little more formal.

There is not "Hey there!" and "What's happening?" There is no... I mean, my character swears a lot. Drat? Frack! (both laughing) Felgercarb. So there's even a difference in language. But the emotions, the psychological, mental, emotional, sentimental characteristics of the people are the same, which is interesting. Because we do need other people in the show, who are also beings living in outer space, but who are different. We have been now immersed in a whole state of supernatural films, space films [like] Close Encounters [of the Third Kind], Star Wars, Star Wars II is coming up, Superman is coming up soon. We're very heavily into the supernatural realm now. Most of the films we've seen along this line, Dirk, are action-adventure films. The characters are kind of secondary. How do you rate Battlestar Galactica along this line? Is it just an action-adventure film in space, or is there a point to these stories? Is there an overall or underlying theme? Well, it is an action-adventure show. It has a great deal of action and is a tremendous adventure.

My character has a lot of Errol Flynn in it -- dashing, jumping, saving and rescuing girls. But the concept of the show never was to be strictly -- by Glen Larson, the executive producer -- to be strictly an action-adventure. He's very concerned. He's a man who's very involved with spiritual matters. He has a spiritual side to his nature. All the scripts have that quality. There are many parallels drawn with the Biblical concepts in our show. There are definitely moral, religious concepts being developed in the show. [There's] a discussion of freedom. What is freedom? The subjugation of one people by another, and even prejudges. So, it has that, which is what I think will make the show something of really merit. Everybody knows and everybody that sees it, you don't have to... It doesn't take 30 seconds to realize it. It's going to be one of the most exciting shows for many, many years and maybe even many years to come from an action-adventure standpoint. The thing that we are all working on -- actors, writers, producers -- is to develop the other side of it.

Was there a fear perhaps or an apprehension, with the enormous success of Star Wars, and the precedent that that film set or 2001[: A Space Odyssey] or Close Encounters [of the Third Kind]? How could you possibly top those effects? That kind of action on the big screen on a small screen. Even if you could, what could you do that they haven't done? Was that an apprehension at all? Well, the producer would really be the one to answer that -- Glen Larson. But you see, Glen Larson is really smart. He's got John Dykstra involved in this project. Who did Star Wars... Before Star Wars came out, John Dykstra was involved with Glen Larson putting together this. John Dykstra didn't do everything that he wanted to do when he did Star Wars. He had other tricks up his sleeve, other things he wanted to try. He's a very imaginative, creative guy. The challenge of using the small screen -- he's come up with some things that surprised himself. I saw him on an interview with Regis Philbin on television the other night and he was talking about that very thing. There are many problems they had to deal with. So it's very exciting stuff.

There are a lot of things that are unique to Battlestar Galactica. What do you want this to do for you as an actor, career wise? Well, it's the standard answer, which is to provide the opportunity to do interesting parts in worthwhile projects. I've been an actor for many years in theatre. I want to do Hamlet. I'll go anywhere and do it. As the business is, if you have any sort of name quality, then people will come to see Dirk Benedict, who is playing. They'll come to see me. There are several parts in theatre that I would like to do. Who have you seen do Hamlet on stage? I've seen a production at the now defunct APA, Riverdrive Theatre in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I saw Ellis Rabb do it. Other than that I've never seen it on stage. It's the only stage production of Hamlet I've ever seen. I was supposed to do it several times. I've been going to do it and things fell through at the last minute. The only other TV show I ever did came through and that postponed my Hamlet.

So it's been right there and I've been preparing for it on three different occasions, and it never quite materialized, but it will. It's a noble ambition for a young actor. It's probably one of the greatest parts ever written and aside from that, is that the only reason why you want to do it? Or does it state everything that you feel in life? Is it what you're about and you find this all wrapped up in this marvelous character? Well no. I must say acting is never -- there is no part written that I don't... Very few people would argue that Shakespeare is the biggest playwright that ever lived. The tremendous diversity in the material he wrote is just unbelievable. The fact that one man wrote all that. Still, and all, Hamlet does not say it all... you know, I want to do other things in life as well. I mean, they're other means of expressing oneself; writing, I played the piano. I have a great involvement in well-being and various ways to achieve that. I want to grow food. And I want to... there are many things that I want to do. So, the answer is that acting at any level, in any material, in any part will not fulfill me completely.

There are other things. One of the biggest fulfillment in acting, I take it, would be playing Hamlet for you? Yes, yes. I would like to do Mercutio. There are several things. Which one of the soliloquies do you like the best in Hamlet? "O that this too too solid flesh would melt." Yes... "Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew." Listen, I have a scholar here. You can quote more of Hamlet than I could. That's my favorite Shakespearean play too. Marvelous. I would like to play Hamlet while I am still of a young look, and playing him as a man of action. I mean, he gets himself in problems, because he is always making rash decisions. I always wondered how a man could... He makes mistakes, but he doesn't ask "Should I or shouldn't I?" He kills Felonious. That's a pretty rash -- he doesn't stop and doesn't hesitate. That's a pretty... thing that he does when he is with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern... Did you see him on that ship and taking over? He's like Errol Flynn.

We're going to see a young Shakespearean actor doing Battlestar Galactica... ...doing Battlestar Galactica, doing Starbuck. And I wish, Dirk, that while you still have that lean and hungry look -- young Dirk, hath that lean and hungry look... Yes. Oh, yes. ...that you'll still be able to play Hamlet too, before you grow too fat with the success of Battlestar Galactica. Ah, let it never happen. Keep life simple. Okay. All the best, Dirk. Thank you. Follow Up: ...about being in a show, and getting into a situation like I am now, is being invited to the Muhammad Ali/Leon Sphinx fight, because I have followed Muhammad Ali's career since 1962. I always thought there's a human being that has more going on than there, than a man who simply wants to be champion. And as his career's gone on, I really believe Muhammad Ali used boxing to have a platform to manifest other dreams in reality. I don't doubt for a fact that they'll be political, you know, and he'll at least be an ambassador... He's the best known man in the world. That's right. That's right.

And through what avenue? He's a boxer. He's a prize fighter. He gets in a ring...I think he's a very multifaceted...I've read some of the things that he's written, and [seen] some of the interviews with him, with rather offbeat publications, where he gets down to some fundamental philosophies of life, and...He's got something going, and I love the idea that in a ring, at that level of physicality of fighting, you know, is somebody that used it, to do other things. I think the ladies in the audience will want to know finally, Dirk, your attitude about this whole Hollywood syndrome -- as an attractive young guy who's starring in a new television show, who has a Broadway training... Are you caught up in this Hollywood routine? Well no, I don't have any social life in Hollywood to speak of. I've never been part of the Hollywood social life. I've always had worthwhile women in my life. I guess the only... Galactica is not going to improve that aspect of my existence. You never know who you are going to meet up there. What do you mean it won't improve your existence?

You might meet some wild creatures up there, in space... Oh, yeah. Listen, I've met some of those already. I have an affair with a "socialator". You probably don't know what a "socialator" is. That's a highfalutin Galactican word for a "prostitute", but it has entirely different... it's in a different time and a different part of the universe and a "socialator" -- the planet she comes from, it was a respected profession and it is not looked upon as a ["prostitute"]. So it's very hard for her and she can't understand why they... when I discover her she's having stones -- not literally - but figuratively thrown at her by the people around her. And then I come in, take her hand, and treat her as a human being. Oh sure, it's wonderful. Starbuck meets some wonderful girls. He has always got an eye out. How about Dirk Benedict? He must meet some beauties too? Yes, I've been lucky in that area, actually. I've had my heart broken a few times, because I always... my dream is too big, I want too much.

If I could just settle for a pretty face or a good time. You can't just settle for pretty face. Nobody can. No. But to find somebody with a complete, a wide variety of qualities. Because my life spans a great... from Montana to Hollywood -- people don't realize it, really. They don't really know. It's not a direct flight. You've got to take a lot of planes to get here. Right. It's a big difference. On all levels. Has this lifestyle overwhelmed you because of your Montana background? It would have, if I wanted. If this is the lifestyle that I wanted to live, it would overwhelm me, because I could start to think: "Gee, I can do that. I can have a swimming pool." but I really don't want any of it, so it won't happen. It's a very seductive place, isn't it? I know it is. I know it is, that's why I'm glad it didn't hit me when I was 25. Because I reached a point through various experiences where I realize that it's just not what -- it's just not me. There's no necessity for it. There's no need in truth for those things.

Because you can't have those things without giving up something else. It takes time, it takes energy, it takes out of your life and life is short enough. There's not enough time to do things that are important. Are you anxious about being married? Immediately or soon or... I tell you the truth, I wish I was married right now. I would prefer it I was with the woman that I imagine in going into this that way. Because, you know... Roots, you'd have roots... You'd have roots, you'd have a base, you'd have a center, and you'd have somebody to... Because you attract all the wrong women for all the wrong reasons -- which is not to say that you don't need people that are interested in sharing... But you don't have that much time to become visible. The celebrities I've known -- it's hard to get close to them. The people they are surrounded with are the people that are interested in being around somebody who has some sort of name value. It's an insulation that goes on. Part of the Hollywood syndrome. Stay with the names. We are all part of it. I guess. Be with the winners. Be with the ones on top. Don't be with the ones...

Yeah, everybody's always looking to see who is the hit of the season. But life goes on. Galactica at some point will be a memory-- as will all of us. I hope not. As will all of us. I hope not for a long time. Well, I don't think so. It's going to be a lot of fun. Happy flying. As Muhammad Ali said... They said he was all about his lifestyle. He's got this incredible house in Chicago. He said: "I can go back to pump gas." It was an interview with Barbara Walters. I don't know if you saw that? He made a comment about it. He said: "I could give this all up -- the entourage and the houses. I could be happy and pump gas." Would you be happy doing that? Not pumping gas, no. But, yes... What you were doing in Montana, I mean? I would never do... I worked on... I would never do what I did in Montana. But yes, living in Montana within a lifestyle that -- I've created that situation for myself for some time. At some point in time I'm going to live a life of a... self sufficiency.

You do not depend on Con Edison - you could cook on wood. You grow your own food and you... That's the challenge it seems to me in this day and age -- is just to find freedom. You are talking about freedom. We are all imprisoned by all of this. We are dependent on freeways, and General Mills, and General Motors, and the gasoline. We just got a taste of what will happen to the gasoline situation. What good will all of these service stations do, and all these cars, when you pull in, and there is no gas. You might as well... plus I did a show with Gloria Swanson, who is married to a wonderful man called William Dufty. He wrote Butterflies are Free. At that point in time I had been studying food as a means of improving one's health. Then I met her which was no coincidence, although it seemed so at the time. And I did this show and she's somebody who is well-known for her -- being a health food junkie. She introduced me to ways of taking it further. I've become quite involved with the study of food in terms of health.

It will be fascinating following Starbuck on screen, and in life, and again I wish you the very best. Thank you. Dirk Benedict - IMDb IMDb 22 December 2016 4:51 PM, UTC NEWS Actor | Director | Soundtrack Dirk Benedict was born in Montana on March 1st, 1945. He was raised in the country, far away from anything connected with movies or acting. He gathered his first experiences in acting (on a dare) in a college production of "Showboat" where he got the main part. His father, a lawyer, died when Dirk was 18, which was hard for him to take. While ... See full bio » Born: a list of 47 people created 19 Feb 2012 a list of 49 people created 29 Nov 2012 a list of 43 people created 17 Nov 2013 a list of 40 people created 18 Jun 2014 a list of 35 images created 16 Sep 2015 Do you have a demo reel?

Add it to your IMDbPage How much of Dirk Benedict's work have you seen? User Polls The A-Team Templeton 'Faceman' Peck (1983-1987) The A-Team Pensacola Prisoner Milt (2010) 1997 Zork: Grand Inquisitor (Video Game) Antharia Jack 1996 Abduction of Innocence (TV Movie) Robert Steves 1989-1995 Murder, She Wrote (TV Series) Gary Harling / Dr. David Latimer 1993 The Commish (TV Series) Gil Higgins 1993 Official Denial (TV Movie) Lt. Col. Dan Lerner 1989 Trenchcoat in Paradise (TV Movie) Eddie Mazda 1989 Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series) Dr.

Rush 1984 Fox Mystery Theater (TV Series) Frank Rowlett 1980-1983 The Love Boat (TV Series) Gary Wells / Jeff Dalton 1982 Family in Blue (TV Movie) Matt Malone 1980 The Georgia Peaches (TV Movie) Dusty Tyree 1978 Cruise Into Terror (TV Movie) Simon 1977 The Cabot Connection (TV Movie) Brom Loomis 1975 Journey from Darkness (TV Movie) Bill 1972 Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) Walter Clyman - Holiday in the Hills (1983) ... (performer: "You Are My Sunshine" - uncredited) Hide 2007 Celebrity Big Brother (TV Series) Himself 2006 Bring Back...

The A-Team (TV Movie documentary) Himself 2006 Tubridy Tonight (TV Series) Himself 2005 Paine Management (TV Movie) Himself 2004 Remembering 'Battlestar Galactica' (Video documentary) Himself 2004 The Cylons of 'Battlestar Galactica' (Video documentary short) Himself 2002 V Graham Norton (TV Series) Himself 2002 Weakest Link (TV Series) Himself 1999 E! True Hollywood Story (TV Series documentary) Himself 1983-1986 Hour Magazine (TV Series) Himself 1984 Het a-team in Nederland (TV Short documentary) Himself 1983 Just Men!

(TV Series) Himself 1978-1979 Donny and Marie (TV Series) Himself 1978 The Hollywood Squares (TV Series) Guest Appearance 2009 De jaren stillekes (TV Series) Templeton 'Faceman' Peck Puppy Dog Tales (author of play) See more » Publicity Listings: 15 Interviews | 3 Pictorials | 2 Magazine Cover Photos | See more » Official Sites: Did You Know? Personal Quote: [on the The A-Team (1983)] I enjoyed it immensely. By nature I'm terribly serious, so as an actor I tend to want to be silly. It was a comedic show, almost like a cartoon. We just had to hang on to enough reality to make it possible for adults to watch it. The actors I worked with, especially Mr. T and Dwight Schultz , were very funny people. It was pretty much four years of laughter. See more » Trivia: In UK. Entered the Celebrity Big Brother (2001) house on January 3rd. Hopes to stay for up to 25 days in this Reality TV Show.

See more » Star Sign: Dirk Benedict | Biography and Filmography | 1945 Biography Blessed with a classically handsome profile and a knack for playing charming rogues, actor Dirk Benedict entered the pantheon of historic television personalities as not one, but two iconic characters. After making an inglorious entry into film with B-movie fare like the reptilian horror tale "Sssssss" (1973), Benedict landed one of his two most enduring roles when he was cast as the devil-may-care fighter pilot Starbuck on "Battlestar Galactica" (ABC, 1978-79). Although the show met with an early demise, the actor quickly went on to even greater stardom as conman Templeton "Faceman" Peck on the action-adventure "The A-Team" (NBC, 1983-87).

During and after "The A-Team," Benedict took on occasional film work, in such roles as a down-on-his-luck manager in the pro-wrestling comedy "Body Slam" (1986) and as a downed pilot whose only hope of survival lies in his two young children locating him in time in the rugged family adventure "Alaska" (1996). Though his star dimmed over the ensuing years, Benedict remained busy on American and international television, most notably on a controversial season of the U.K.'s "Celebrity Big Brother" (BBC One/Channel 4, 2001- ). Although he was a vocal critic of the series reboot of "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci Fi Channel, 2004-09), Benedict showed his approval of the feature film version of "The A-Team" (2010) by making an appearance alongside actor Bradley Cooper, taking over the role of Faceman. With a pair of beloved, classic television series to his credit, Benedict long ago had earned the adoration of generations of fans. Lt. Starbuck (Character) Lt.

Starbuck (Character) from "Battlestar Galactica" (1978) The content of this page was created by users. It has not been screened or verified by IMDb staff. There may be more photos available for this character. To select more photos to be displayed in this character's gallery, click the Edit Photos link. Overview For information on Starbuck from the Original Series... See more » Alternate Names: Lt. Boomer : I thought Tigh was about to blast out of his boots. Capt. Apollo : Breaking formation isn't exactly part of the military code. Lt. Starbuck : Er, well, if you two hadn't stopped me, I could've caught her. See more » Update You may correct errors and omissions on this page directly. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process. IMDb Everywhere Find showtimes, watch trailers, browse photos, track your Watchlist and rate your favorite movies and TV shows on your phone or tablet! Starbuck biography | birthday, trivia | Fictional Sailor | Who2 Starbuck Biography Fictional Sailor Starbuck is a character in the 1851 novel Moby-Dick by author Herman Melville .

Strong and steady, Starbuck serves as first mate on the whaling ship Pequod under the command of the mad Captain Ahab. Starbuck tries to stop Ahab’s obsessive hunt for Moby-Dick, but loyal at the last, he dies at sea with Ahab and his crew after a final battle with the great while whale. The Starbucks coffee chain took its name from the character. Extra credit Unrelated characters named Starbuck also appear in the play The Rainmaker (which debuted on Broadway in 1954) and in the sci-fi TV show Battlestar Galactica (1978-79, with Lt. Starbuck played by Dirk Benedict)… Starbuck was played by actor Leo Genn in the 1956 film which starred Gregory Peck as Ahab. UPDATED: The original Starbuck tells the new show to frak off | Hero Complex – movies, comics, pop culture – Los Angeles Times UPDATED: The original Starbuck tells the new show to frak off Jan. 20, 2009 | 9:24 p.m.

UPDATE: Wow, I just found out that this essay that was presented as new content yesterday on Breitbart’s Big Hollywood blog is in fact from a 2004 posting on Dirk Benedict’s own website . I guess the people at Breitbart are big advocates of recycling and misrepresentation. Sorry to pass this on as something new, which it appeared to be. You remember " Battlestar Galactica ," the original television show? It was dismissed by many as a "Star Wars" knockoff and it had a creepy orange robot dog called a Daggit but it was a lot of fun and nobody got hurt. The stars were the late Lorne Greene and Richard Hatch (who has been great as a competely different character in the new, re-imagined series) and, of course, my fave at the time, Dirk Benedict, whose Starbuck was a sort of Han Solo rascal who gave the show a lot of comic relief (he would go on to portray the con-man commando Face in the " The A-Team "). Well, it turns out that Benedict has watched the revival of the show, which has been hailed far and wide as a dark and sophisticated masterpiece, and silently seethed. Why?

Well, let him tell you in a grouchy rant from the Big Hollywood blog : There was a time, I know I was there, when men were men, women were women and sometimes a cigar was just a good smoke. But 40 years of feminism have taken their toll. The war against masculinity has been won. Everything has turned into its opposite, so that what was once flirting and smoking is now sexual harassment and criminal. And everyone is more lonely and miserable as a result. Witness the "re-imagined" "Battlestar Galactica," bleak, miserable, despairing, angry and confused. Which is to say, it reflects in microcosm the complete change in the politics and morality of today’s world, as opposed to the world of yesterday. The world of Lorne Greene (Adama), Fred Astaire (Starbuck’s Poppa) and Dirk Benedict (Starbuck). I would guess Lorne is glad he’s in that Big Bonanza in the sky and well out of it. Starbuck, alas, has not been so lucky. He’s not been left to pass quietly into that trivial world of cancelled TV characters. ‘Re-imagining,’ they call it.

‘Un-imagining’ is more accurate. To take what once was and twist it into what never was intended. So that a television show based on hope, spiritual faith and family is un-imagined and regurgitated as a show of despair, sexual violence and family dysfunction. To better reflect the times of ambiguous morality in which we live, one would assume. A show in which the aliens (Cylons) are justified in their desire to destroy human civilization, one would assume. Indeed, let us not say who the good guys are and who the bad are. That is being ‘judgmental,’ taking sides, and that kind of (simplistic) thinking went out with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and Kathryn Hepburn and John Wayne and, well, the original ‘Battlestar Galactica.’ Wow. Really? The show with the orange robot dog is a prized symbol of lost American integrity? Didn’t see that coming. But wait, there’s more … More from the Starbuck rant… In the bleak and miserable "re-imagined" world of "Battlestar Galactica," things are never that simple. Maybe the Cylons are not evil and alien but in fact enlightened and evolved?

Let us not judge them so harshly. Maybe it is they who deserve to live and Adama and his human ilk who deserve to die? And what a way to go! For the re-imagined terrorists (Cylons) are not mechanical robots void of soul, of sexuality, but rather humanoid six foot tall former lingerie models who f**k you to death. (Poor old Starbuck, you were imagined too early. Think of the fun you could have had ‘fighting’ with these thong-clad aliens!) In the spirit of such soft-core, sci-fi porn I think a more re-imaginative title would have been "F****ed by A Cylon." (Apologies to "Touched by an Angel.") One thing is certain. In the new un-imagined, re-imagined world of "Battlestar Galactica" everything is female driven. The male characters, from Adama on down, are confused, weak and wracked with indecision, while the female characters are decisive, bold, angry as hell, puffing cigars (gasp!) and not about to take it any more. One can quickly surmise what a problem the original Starbuck created for the re-imaginators.

Starbuck was all charm and humor and flirting without an angry bone in his womanizing body. Yes, he was definitely ‘female driven,’ but not in the politically correct ways of Re-imagined Television. What to do, wondered the Re-imaginators? Keep him as he was, with a twinkle in his eye, a stogie in his mouth and a girl in every galaxy? This could not be. He would stick out like, well, like a jock strap in a drawer of thongs. Starbuck refused to be re-imagined. It became the Great Dilemma. How to have your Starbuck and delete him too? The best minds in the world of un-imagination doubled their intake of Double Soy Latte’s as they gathered in their smoke-free offices to curse the day that this chauvinistic Viper Pilot was allowed to be. But never under-estimate the power of the un-imaginative mind when it encounters an obstacle (character) it subconsciously loathes. "Re-inspiration" struck. Starbuck would go the way of most men in today’s society.

Starbuck would become "Stardoe." What the Suits of yesteryear had been incapable of doing to Starbuck 25 years ago was accomplished quicker than you can say orchiectomy. Much quicker, as in, "Frak! Gonads Gone!" This is just dizzying in its greatness. The funny thing is, the new Starbuck has a bigger pair than the Benedict’s fey version ever had. I can’t wait to see what happens when Sandra Bullock gets the role of Face in the "A-Team" remake … — Geoff Boucher Dirk Benedict Interview - Universal Chat Room Dirk Benedict Interview - Universal Chat Room (May 14 1997) Moderator: Greetings Universal Chatters and welcome to another live moderated chat! Tonight we're privileged to have at the Backlot Café Mr. Dirk Benedict. Dirk has starred in numerous films and television shows, including the A-Team and Battlestar Galactica, in which he starred as Lt. Starbuck. He also starred in Universal Studios' Sci-Fi film Sssssss, where he played man who was transformed into a snake!!! Ladies and Gentlemen.....it's chat time. Please welcome Lt.

Starbuck himself....Dirk Benedict. Dirk, I have to ask one question first, have you ever chatted on the internet before? Dirk Benedict: This is my first chat and I hope it's not a disappointment for everybody. It's nice to know at my age there are some things I still haven't done Spicoli: Did you always know that you wanted to become an actor? Dirk Benedict: I never knew I wanted to become an actor. I fell into it in college quite by accident. If it wasn't for alcohol I might never have become one. On a dare and while inebriated, I tried out for the spring musical and the rest is history. Donnaf: We hear you've written a play. Will it be in New York? If so, when? Dirk Benedict: Yes I've written a play. Two plays. Good plays. It's under consideration. We're hiring a new director so it slowed up. But it will be done either in NY or LA sometime in the next year And the play I'm talking about is called Acting Becomes Her. It's about the last girl in Hollywood never to have breast implants.

Moody 2: Dirk, how has Starbuck changed over the last 18 years and will you return if the series comes back? Dirk Benedict: How has Starbuck changed? You mean Dirk Benedict? Amazingly I haven't changed all that much considering it's been 17 years. My costume still fits. The answer as to whether I'll be in it or not if it's revived is up to Universal Studios. They tend, like in America to worship youth, so the odds are not good. Write your letters! Kryton: What was your most favourite character to play in your career? Dirk Benedict: Hamlet. In NY. 1988. Off Broadway. My second book called And Then We Went Fishing is about the death of my father and it's very similar to Hamlet's story. My second favorite part is Starbuck. Pandora: Mr. Benedict before I read your books I was lost. I almost gave up because of my illness, but after reading your books it was like the fog had been lifted. The answers I was searching for where always within me and I didn't realize it. Thank you for writing your book Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy.

You opened my eyes. Dirk Benedict: "Everybody's life has a purpose. Mine has been to share my journey of recovery from cancer by changing my diet and my book Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy tells that story and really is my manifesto. Moody 2: It's so good to have you visit. Do you have a computer and do you visit the BSG mail list? You have a lot of fans there and on The A-Team mail list. Dirk Benedict: I only have a word processor. I'm not on the Internet. Relatively illiterate, a bit anti-technology. And a very reclusive personality. A hermit, really, all of which doesn't lend itself to getting on the Internet. Also, I don't have the time, really. Because of the many things I am doing or attempting to do. It would take away from my writing. Kryton: Dwight Schultz played the zany Murdock. Was he as crazy off camera? Dirk Benedict: Dwight Schultz should get papers proving he's not crazy. Because he'll never get me to stand up for him as being a sane human being. My best friend and I have yet to ask him to dinner [laughs hysterically].

He's nuts. He's certifiable. Mojo: Are you going to any conventions anytime soon? Dirk Benedict: Send invitations and a medium sized check. I would like to for many reasons. One is to share and sell my book and my story, Kamikaze Cowboy. There's alot of Starbuck in Kamikaze Cowboy. I did Battlestar Galactica right after surviving cancer but told noone until I wrote the book some years later. Jinxed1: Whatever happened to that little robot dog from Battlestar? Dirk Benedict: We ate him. Who asked for too much money which is one of the reasons we were canceled. [throws his head back, cackling with glee] Ororo: How are your kids? Dirk Benedict: Beautiful, bright boys. And the real focus of my life at the moment being a single father with custody. And at this moment they're waiting for me to come home. And big Battlestar Galactica fans! Deselle: Has there been a decision about the A-team movie as to whether they are going to use the original actors and characters? We'd all love to see you and the other two guys in the movie.

Dirk Benedict: As far as I know, they go back and forth. They being Universal and Stephen J. Cannell, the writer/creator. On the one side if they use big movie stars they feel they reach a larger audience. On the other side, it wouldn't be the original cast and they're not sure how much it would affect box office. George of course has passed. But the other three of us are alive and well and willing I assume. As far as a cameo, I don't think so. Moderator: What was Mr. T like off the set? Dirk Benedict: That would be like dating your ex-wife after she married someone else. Oh, man! I could go on for hours. Mr. T never stopped talking. And after 2-3 years, when we all stopped listening, he still never stopped talking. A very, very, very funny guy. Quite unlike the character he played in the TV show. Ergo, he's a very good actor. He giggled all day long. Probably because of all the money he was making. He's a very happy guy, great fun to work with.

One day he called 2 construction workers, both of whom were bigger than him And had been giving him a bad time for being dumb and rich at the same time Which was only half true. And he called them down to have fisted cuffs. Needless to say, neither one of them showed up. A very, very loyal human being. And I miss working with him as much as anything about the show because he would always loan me 20 bucks when I needed it. The set of the A-Team was total chaos because Dwight, T and myself are all compulsive talkers. Jinxed1: What was your favorite episode of Battlestar? Dirk Benedict: I have 2. The first is the one with Fred Astaire, the title of which escapes me - The Man with 9 Lives I think. He and I became friends. It was a very good episode I thought about Starbuck and his erstwhile Father. And the other was actually from 1980. Starbuck Returns - the last episode. Just basically Starbuck and a Cylon stranded on a planet. Great fun. Edith: What is the most favorite thing about Montana that you enjoy? Dirk Benedict: Oh, man!

It's not the women. Or the lack thereof. It's the wide open spaces. Lack of people. And it's my home, my roots, so I have many old, old, friends. Very old. It's wild. It still has some wildness to it. Vinnys: Have you ever been on a soap opera? Dirk Benedict: Never. Early in my career in NYC I was offered several soaps. And despite my financial situation, I declined because basically, they're too serious. I enjoy comedy. I would do a serious film or play but in a long-running series, it would be too hard for me if there were no laughs. Mojo: Where do we write to Dirk? Dirk Benedict: Send it to my agent. 20th Century Artists, 15315 Magnolia Blvd., Ste 429, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403. Pandora: Mr.Benedict How do you like chatting on the net? Dirk Benedict: So far, so good. It's a bit slow for me. Chloe25: What character that you have played is most like you in real life? Dirk Benedict: Two.

One was Starbuck. And the second was from a pilot called Trenchcoat in Paradise. And of course, Hamlet, but we can't go into that. I'm not revealing my deep psychological problems Vinnys: I am only 10 years old, what advice would you give me if I wanted to be an actor? Dirk Benedict: 1. Have as many life experiences as you can. Listen to your heart and your dreams. And when you're older, take advantage of every possibility to act because practice makes perfect. Well, maybe not perfect, but it's important to do, to do, to do, to do. Or become a famous weightlifter and then you'll soon be a movie star. Thor9: Do you have any of the Props from BSG? Dirk Benedict: says, "Other than the cigars? And one or two of the ladies.... no. No, the answer is no. Nothing. I have a picture of Fred Astaire and myself and a belt he gave me as a present and a beautiful gold cigar lighter Lorne Greene gave me.

And that's it, but I have millions of memories which noone can take from me and for which I would not trade for any material things. Supa: Dirk, is there any director you would like to work with (Quentin Tarantino for example)? Dirk Benedict: Well, you're trying to hurt my feelings. I haven't been invited to those particular parties. There's a long list. Tarantino, Spielberg, Emma Thompson. There's just too long a list to go into. I think there are many wonderful drirectors today, one of whom is Fraser Heston for whom I did work on a Castle Rock film called Alaska. A wonderful director who will do many, many wonderful movies in the future. I would like to work with Spielberg before I die. I offered to do craft service on his next film. Bitsy33: Who is your favorite Actor? Dirk Benedict: Oh, uh, male? Albert Finney. This is hard. There's alot of wonderful actors. Number 2 is Anthony Hopkins. Female is Jodie Foster. Kryton: You did a movie with Linda Blair about a returning Vietnam vet getting harassed by folks in a rural setting [Ruckus. Will there be a sequel?

Dirk Benedict: By the way, of the leading men movie stars out there today, Mel Gibson I think is a wonderful actor. There should be. I saw Linda a couple months ago. She looks fabulous, she looks the same 15 years ago when we made that movie. A sequel, I doubt it. We had Ben Johnson, Richard Farnsworth, Matt Clark. Scallywag: Ever acted in a stage production or movie outside the USA? Dirk Benedict: Many movies. No stage outside the US. My first film written by Maya Angelou, the wonderful poetess, writer and friend was shot in Sweden starring myself and the late Diana Sands. There should be a sequel to that movie. It was way ahead of its time in its theme of interracial love. It was called Georgia, Georgia. A very good movie. Edith: Have you flown airplanes most of your life or is it a hobby? Dirk Benedict: It's a hobby, an addiction. Having your life in your own hands has always appealed to me. I began flying in 1980 and will continue until they ground me. Jinxed1: You describe yourself as a dreamer and a romantic...What do you dream?

Dirk Benedict: Of romance. Chrispappas: Will you/have you written a third book? Dirk Benedict: I will. I have 200-300 pages of it but my divorce 2-1/2 years ago made it impossible for me to finish. I will finish it though. My publisher is harassing me. Vinnys: Would you act in a movie like Volcano? Dirk Benedict: [laughs hysterically] If I could play opposite Pierce [Brosnan], yes. Whoops, all those eruptions begin to look alike. Well, Tommy Lee Jones and I started out together. The answer is yes. But I think it would be one volcano too many. Like A Bridge Too Far. But given that I'm not a big movie star, it could be a movie about a toilet that overflows [laughs hysterically, throws his head back, cackling with glee]. Ororo: (This might be too personal- sorry!) When were you/are you happiest, and why? Dirk Benedict: I was happiest in 1988 playing Hamlet with my six month pregnant wife as Ophelia. It was the happiest time in my life except for now.

I'm always happiest in the company of my 2 boys. Truly. So I take them with me everywhere. Which is why I haven't had a date in two and a half years. By the time they're old enough to go on a date with me the date will go off with them and leave me. Capkirk: With the religious theme that some of the episodes that BG had (i.e. the one with the angels) was Glen Larson a spiritual guy or what is the story? Dirk Benedict: Number one he is very spiritual. He was raised in the Mormon church and a member at that time. I don't know if he still is. I assume so. I think all science fiction has a strong spiritual aspect to it because of the nature of it, pushing the envelope of the human experience. Bezerker: Do you hang out with Richard Hatch alot? You two have a good chemistry together onscreen. Dirk Benedict: No, I don't. I've seen him twice since the show was taken off the air. I visited him once in the hospital where he had a nervous breakdown [laughs hysterically]. Sorry, everyone, that's a joke. So, no, I haven't.

I just saw him a month ago for the 2nd time. But we did have a chemistry, I agree. Chloe25: I see that you are a native of Montana, do you pursue a lot of outdoor sports? Skiing, hiking, mountain biking? Dirk Benedict: One of the reasons I moved back. Yes. The answer is yes. A great deal. I'm living on a house on a lake that Battlestar built. So I've been coming here for a long time. Edith: I hope Dirk has a wonderful career as a writer and I hope he never sees sad times again. Dirk Benedict: Oh, thank you, that's very, very nice although I'm sure I will see sad times as we all do, but the trick is to realize that without those sad times, we wouldn't enjoy the sweet ones as much when they come along as they inevitably do and will as long as you believe. Moderator: Dirk...thank you so much for chatting with us...that was easily the most enjoyable chat we have ever had!!! Honest...thanks again. Hey...can people order your book? Dirk Benedict: It's been wonderful chatting.

I will leave you with the hope that you will all get and read my book, Confession of a Kamikaze Cowboy and I say that not for monetary reasons, but because it is my way of sharing any understanding of the way to have health and happiness that I have learned in this lifetime. And I'll see you on the screen. Soon, I hope. And you're all invited to dinner if you can make it by 8pm montana time to Holly's Lake House on the shores of Flathead Lake. Moderator: Thanks Dirk....come back and chat with us again soon. Dirk Benedict: Oh, one more thing. Before I forget. To get the book, call the following number: 1-800-548-5757. And tell them Dirk sent you. Enjoy

Question: In which sci-fi TV series did Dirk Benedict play Lieutenant Starbuck?
Answer: Battlestar Galactica